A firm linked to businessman Valden Findlay has moved to block a search conducted by the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), escalating a legal confrontation over the Centre’s investigative actions.

The dispute follows a search undertaken by the FIC as part of an ongoing probe. The firm has since sought court intervention, challenging the legality and execution of the warrant used to conduct the operation.

According to details carried in the Daily Nation of 03/03/2026 , the application questions the procedural basis upon which the FIC carried out the search. The firm argues that the investigative step was irregular and has asked the court to restrain further action pending determination of the matter.

The FIC, established under Zambian law to combat financial crimes including money laundering and related offences, has authority to seek and execute search warrants where it believes there are reasonable grounds linked to financial investigations. Such actions typically require judicial authorisation.

In the present matter, the firm maintains that the search did not meet the required legal thresholds and has called for scrutiny of the manner in which the warrant was obtained and enforced. The court filing seeks relief that would effectively suspend the use of any materials seized during the search until the case is resolved.

The development introduces a fresh legal dimension to the broader scrutiny involving Findlay. The businessman has previously been referenced in high-profile matters attracting public attention, making the latest confrontation with the FIC significant in both legal and political contexts.

Court proceedings are expected to examine whether due process was followed in granting and executing the warrant. At issue will be the interpretation of statutory provisions governing investigative searches and the balance between state powers to investigate suspected financial misconduct and constitutional protections against unlawful intrusion.

Legal analysts note that challenges to investigative searches often hinge on technical compliance with procedure, including the specificity of warrants, scope of materials sought, and adherence to prescribed timelines. A finding in favour of the firm could limit the FIC’s ability to rely on evidence obtained during the operation.

Conversely, if the court upholds the FIC’s actions, it would reinforce the Centre’s mandate to act decisively in financial intelligence operations.

Neither the FIC nor representatives of Findlay are reported to have issued detailed public statements beyond the court filings. The matter now shifts to judicial consideration, where arguments from both sides will determine the immediate trajectory of the investigation.

The outcome of the case is likely to be closely watched, given the implications for financial crime enforcement and the legal boundaries within which investigative agencies operate in Zambia.

Proceedings in the matter are expected to continue as the court reviews submissions related to the search and the relief sought by the firm.

Former National Guidance and Religious Affairs Minister Dr Sumaili has rejected claims suggesting that no one from the Patriotic Front had seen the body of former president Edgar Lungu, stating that she personally travelled to South Africa and viewed the remains shortly after his death.

Dr Sumaili said she travelled to South Africa a day after the former head of state died and had the opportunity to see his body. She described assertions that no one had seen the remains as false.

“I travelled to South Africa a day after the president died and I can say with all my heart, truthfully, that I’ve had the opportunity to see the body,” she said. “So it is a total lie. It is inhuman to even think that maybe somebody is telling lies.”

Her remarks follow ongoing public discussion surrounding the delayed burial of the former president, who has reportedly remained in a morgue for nine months.

Dr Sumaili said the former president had been lying in the morgue for that period, calling the situation unfortunate. She questioned how the country had come to accept the prolonged delay in burying a former head of state.

“Our former president is gone and he has been lying in the morgue for nine months. It is so unfortunate,” she said. “I don’t know who we have become, even as a people. How we, the people of Zambia, have been able to accept such a situation.”

She said the matter carried broader implications, particularly given the stature of the deceased as a former president who had governed the country for seven years.

“Keeping a person unburied, what does it mean? And especially one who had the key to the nation, who ruled the nation for seven years, who did so much in the nation,” she said.

The former minister’s remarks come amid heightened political tension surrounding the circumstances of the burial arrangements. Disagreements over logistics and responsibility have fuelled competing narratives, with various actors offering differing accounts of what has transpired since the former president’s death.

Dr Sumaili did not outline specific details regarding the arrangements but maintained that her visit to South Africa and her viewing of the body were factual. She framed her intervention as a response to claims that no one within the Patriotic Front had confirmed seeing the remains.

Her comments add another layer to an already sensitive national issue, as the delayed burial of a former head of state continues to attract public attention.

The burial of former presidents in Zambia has traditionally followed state protocols, reflecting their status and years of service. The continued absence of a final resting arrangement for the late Edgar Lungu has therefore remained a matter of public concern.

Dr Sumaili said the situation required reflection from citizens, urging consideration of what it means for a nation when a former leader remains unburied for such an extended period.

The former president’s remains, she said, had been in the morgue for nine months following his death in South Africa.

Hakainde Hichilema says Zambia is hoping for a swift end to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East to prevent a surge in global fuel prices that could negatively impact the country’s economy.

Speaking during a meeting with councillors and the Local Government Association of Zambia, President Hichilema said Zambia remains vulnerable to global shocks arising from instability in major oil-producing regions.

He said government is closely monitoring international developments, noting that even distant conflicts directly affect local pump prices and the cost of living.

“We all hope this war will come to an end quickly, so that it doesn’t shoot up the price of fuel and distort our inflation issues and other costs of doing business and living issues,” President Hichilema said.

The President stated that Zambia does not support war and believes dialogue is the only sustainable path to stability. He added that while his administration has implemented economic reforms and diversification measures to reduce vulnerability, global disturbances continue to pose challenges.

President Hichilema explained that Zambia’s fuel pricing is determined by three main factors: the exchange rate, transportation costs and the international price of crude oil. He said government has made progress in stabilising the exchange rate and reducing transport costs by promoting pipeline transportation, which is cheaper than road haulage.

“You have seen what we have been doing to the pump price. We have been pushing the pump price down, and it’s based on three parameters only; one is the exchange rate, which we are doing well. Two is the cost of transporting fuel. That’s why we are pushing more pipeline space, which is cheaper than road transportation,” he said.

“Three is the international price of fuel. We are doing well on one and two. Now on three, the war in Iran is causing an increase in the fuel price. Then that is beyond us,” he added.

Tensions in the Middle East escalated after reported US-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, triggering retaliatory strikes across several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

According to the BBC, oil prices surged by more than 10 percent in early Asian trading, with Brent crude reaching US$78.72 per barrel and US oil trading at around US$72.20 per barrel.

The conflict has also affected maritime security, with reports indicating that vessels were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route